Monteverde

View on the way to Monteverde

 Zipline prep

Go pro on the helmet of a kid in our group captured the views!

Class Trip to Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

las Esferas o las Bolas

 I was fascinated with these spheres - they are still a mystery to archeologists. The source of rock was hundreds of miles away and they were believed to be made to exact spherical proportion. Some date to as early as 300 AD.

La Paz Waterfall

 Countryside drive to the waterfall.

 Colibries (hummingbirds) on the back porch of the gift shop we stopped at on the way

Powerfully gorgeous!

Chocolate!

Hiking to the cacao plantation across a suspension bridge then up a mountainside trail.

 They made hot chocolate for us the pre-columbian way and we drank it in small clay cups.

Grinding the cacao bean to a paste.  

Pouring and whipping with a whisk improves the taste of the drink. The black canisters contain added flavoring like chili, cinnamon and vanilla. No sugar, though. 

 Drying process takes weeks.

View looking down from the bridge

Bird on the end of the branch.

Trapiche

 Sugar Cane processing, old style

 Boiling the sugar cane juice after being pressed out of the canes. The white bucket to the side is filled with water so he can cool his fingers after he tests the boiling sugar for the right stage, yes with his fingers - soft ball stage - before pouring the syrup into the trough.

 Feeding the fire under the boiling juice.

 Sugar cane

After being poured into this trough, the boiled juice is stirred with this paddle until it looks like caramel. This guy stirs his paddle back and forth, back and forth. Builds pretty strong arms! This family has run this plantation for about 75 years.

Pure sugar cane with los cacahuates (peanuts). We each took home a patty of candy for our host families.

A beautiful, typical painted ox cart just parked in the barn filled with hay. Each ox cart is painted with the design of the province and metal pieces are hung from the axles under the cart to make it's province's distinct melody of sound when the cart (or carreta) is rolling. Beautiful!